Strange Familiars review

Rating –

I first heard about this show after the creator, Timothy Renner was interviewed on the Monster Fuzz podcast. He didn’t really go into what his show was about, but the interview was good enough for me to seek the show out for myself.

I wasn’t really prepared for what happened when I pushed play, needless to say that I have been neglecting many other shows since subscribed to this one.

So what’s it about?

Strange things are afoot in Pennsylvania, or so it would seem. Timothy Renner, something of a renaissance man, investigates the high strangeness in this corner of America.

Well, not exclusively this corner of America, but most of his stories and investigations are from there. The stories are wide ranging indeed, from Bigfoot sightings, UFOs and ghosts to strange tales from newspaper archives.

The episodes are a mix of interviews in the studio, and field recordings from the remote woods and hiking trails in the area. The latter really gives this a great atmosphere, and while the recordings aren’t super high quality, it makes these sections feel more “real”. The studio interviews are also excellent though, and have certainly provided me with a springboard for a whole host of other podcasts and book to devour.

Is it any good?

There are few podcasts that grab me the way this one has. In fact, since I started this blog, there have been fewer than 10. There is something strangely compelling about it. A tangible feeling of the uncanny that somehow, Tim has managed to convey to the listener.

I want to take a minute and go into how this podcast sounds. I know it’s not something I do too often in a review, but in this show the sound (particularly the music) seems linked intrinsically.

The opening of each episode is a weird edit of a later part of the interview, replete with huge reverbs and audio effects that then launches you into a rather dramatic sounding theme song, setting the scene wonderfully.

The archive reports later in each episode are told with a scratchy, old timey radio effect that could easily sound cliché, but really adds to the creepy vibe of the stories.

As I said, Timothy Renner is something of a renaissance man. Aside from the podcast, he’s also an illustrator and folk musician. Now, despite having a wide range of musical tastes, I really don’t like much folk music at all. Until now. Every episode ends with a song related to the subject, but rather than the stereotypical folk music, this seems darker somehow. My immediate comparisons would be Nick Cave’s album Murder Ballads, or the ultra limited edition releases by Devon Folklore Tapes (if you’ve ever been lucky enough to snag one).

Final thoughts

I’m currently on episode 18 (now 7 years old), and I can’t see myself stopping on this show any time soon. Each episode brings something new, and I haven’t heard one “dud” story yet.

Whatever your opinions on such mysterious happenings, this podcast makes it easy to suspend your disbelief and take the subject matter at face value, should you want to. Should you want to dig deeper, then the resources are there to really send you down some deep rabbit holes.

There are many comparisons to be made with this podcast, both audio and visual. I’m going to give you a list of things, that if you like, then you’ll love this podcast (and vice-versa).

Wisconsin Death Trip (1999)
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Willow Creek (2013)
Hellier (2019)
The Unbinding (2023)

You can get Strange Familiars here:

https://pod.link/1203110397

For more great reviews, I recommend GreatPods

*RIP Westley. You are sorely missed by all of us seekers of the weird

Songs from the wood